A tense confrontation unfolded in London when a Just Stop Oil protester was assaulted by a furious motorist after a car crash near the latest climate demonstration.
Video footage captures a man wearing a red baseball cap approaching a group of protesters dressed in bright orange vests. The driver aggressively punches and shoves a protester in a red top to the ground before kicking what appears to be his phone. The driver can be heard swearing loudly, saying, “Just f****** stop.”
The protester, Daniel Knorr, identified by Just Stop Oil, remained calm throughout the attack. Despite sustaining bruises, Knorr expressed sympathy for the driver, noting that the man had just been involved in a crash and was clearly under stress. Knorr commented, “It was a difficult situation bound to stir frustration.”
Daniel Knorr is no stranger to media attention. He was famously carried off the pitch at Lord’s cricket ground by England’s Jonny Bairstow during a previous protest. Knorr and two others currently face aggravated trespass charges related to the Lord’s incident and are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 31.
The recent demonstration in London is part of a series of disruptions by Just Stop Oil targeting key locations, including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Activists Matthew Cunningham, 25, and Imogen May, 24, recorded themselves spraying bright orange paint on the government building in protest against the approval of over 100 new UK oil and gas licences.
The Metropolitan Police responded by clearing slow-moving protesters from several areas including Westminster Bridge, Victoria Street, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Marylebone, and Kensington. Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands condemned the protest as “unacceptable,” sharing images of Westminster Bridge blocked by the activists.
This violent incident highlights the growing tensions between climate change protesters and members of the public. It underscores the urgent need for peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding as demonstrations continue across the capital.
Originally published by UKNIP.
